LinkedIn decides to link in

December 10, 2007

In a move that will have many grumbling “it’s about time”, LinkedIn has finally released details on its upcoming API program. The LinkedIn API is designed to provide programmers and developers with data needed to create applications and widgets that can be used both inside and outside of LinkedIn.

Mashable reports:

LinkedIn, the social network for professionals, is finally giving out some details on its upcoming API, touted the LinkedIn Intelligent Application platform.

Using the API, developers will be able to create widgets and integrate LinkedIn data into other applications, as well as create applications that will integrate with LinkedIn. Google’s OpenSocial platform is sure to be supported, and some others are planned. LinkedIn is quite clear on one thing: they don’t want Facebook-style donut-throwing time wasters; they want business productivity applications, and although it is not explicitly said, they will probably ban everything that doesn’t fit that description.

LinkedIn has also announced one partner for the upcoming API, BusinessWeek, which will link certain keywords to LinkedIn, in the (unpopular?) mouseover popup style. Not the best way to introduce the API, if you ask me; something less annoying would do the trick just as well.

As stated at Mashable, there are some questionable parts to this announcement. The main one for me is the pop-ups being proposed for the BusinessWeek deal. FOX News is notorious for having annoying, intrusive pop-ups all over its content pages, and I cringe at the though of that happening to my LinkedIn profile.

That being said, having the ability to implement widgets on my blogs and add applications to my LinkedIn profile will make for a much more user friendly experience.

This is certainly a move to keep an eye on.

-Eric Odom

Posted by Eric Odom | Filed Under Miscellaneous